124 PRACTICAL GARDENING. 



watch, tlie gardens for a year, and make notes of all the 

 antnnm and very early spring-blooming flowers. By planting 

 these in the borders, or growing them separately in pots, we 

 may command them a little earlier, or a little later. Yiolets 

 may be had aU the winter. N"oissette Fellenberg, and the 

 common China rose, may be kept in bloom in pits and 

 houses ; and therefore a succession may be kept up in pots, 

 to change such as go out of bloom. The Magnoha purpurea 

 and conspicuea, may be planted out. Ehododendrons and 

 azaleas of the American kinds, and some fine hybrids, wiU 

 stand a moderate degree of frost, and therefore become very 

 useful. As a climber. Clematis azurea grandiflora is the 

 most showy and beautiful of the whole family, and would 

 grow out of doors, to say nothing of under glass. Those, 

 therefore, who object to a fire near the house, or who have 

 no convenience for it, may have their winter-garden under 

 glass, and always have something growing, and blooming, 

 while frost and snow forbids a walk in the open grounds. 



Form of Conservatory. — The most economical form for 

 a conservatory is a ridged roof. The side upright from the 

 ground to the lowest part of the roof should be not less than 

 eight feet, and ten would look more noble. The roof should 

 rise seven feet six inches, the lights should be five feet nine 

 inches wide, with a tie from plate to plate at every rafter, 

 the nearer the better; and of iron, that it may be hght. 

 Climbing plants should be directed to these, so as to form a 

 pleasing feature when covered ; and there is great choice for 

 the purpose among the passifloras, clematises, and other 

 robust and showy families. The top-lights should let down, 

 the side-lights, or upright glass sides, as they may be called, 

 should aU open ; and as the more convenient and elegant, as 

 well as useful plan, they should be sashes like dwelling- 

 house windows, the lower ones to push up, and the upper 

 ones to puU down. The glazing of the sides may be of large 

 glass panes, but for the roof six inch width is enough, and 

 the length may be anything; but, for economy, six by four is 

 large enough, and by far the cheapest. If the conservatory 

 be planned thus, without any extra ornament, due regard 

 being had to neatness, good workmanship, and clear glass, 

 you may build such of a much -greater extent for the same 

 money, than you could any of the more fanciful kinds, which 

 cannot but get out of fashion as taste changes ; but as this 



